Rich in history and nature, the coast of Cefalù extends for about 30 kilometers between Lascari and Pollina, alternating long stretches of straight beaches with bays and small inlets, with low cliffs and sheer slopes overlooking the sea. Close to the coast, after a very short flat area, high hills rise, the first foothills of the Madonie mountain range. And it is precisely from these important mountains that the geological formations facing the sea originate. In short, Cefalù is ideal for families who want to combine fishing with other interests during their vacation.

In addition to the old port, located in the historic center of the village, there is the new port, just below the Rock. Locally called "u castieddu" in Cefaludese dialect, it is an extraordinary cliff, 268 meters high, overlooking Cefalù to the west, while turning from north to east dominates the gulf.

Last summer, in the company of two extraordinary fishermen and friends, I spent a couple of days in the stretch of sea that extends eastwards from the port, up to Capo Rais Gerbi. Leonardo Guida, a former boatman for a decade of Maurizio Ramacciotti and a deep connoisseur of these seabeds, which he has frequented since he was a child, accompanied us in the discovery of this stretch of coast, not always easy to approach due to its total exposure to winds from the north of the first and fourth quadrant. With us, an excellent athlete: Totò Natoli, about whom I will tell you about in a future article, a day in his sea, that of Terrasini.

It was the first days of August. In the height of the summer season, the traffic of numerous boats suggested that we would not have an easy time. Leo had warned us that in that period, finding clear water would not be easy. Indeed! Fishing in murky waters may provide some satisfaction on one hand, but on the other, it makes everything a little less fascinating.

We gathered early in the morning: at seven, we were at the port's bar in Cefalù, for a coffee and ready to depart. It was a fantastic day, with fantastic weather and high expectations.

While drinking coffee, Leo outlined the itinerary that would occupy the whole day, up to Calasole. "Today, guys," Leo said with irony, "I'm taking you to places you humans have never seen. From the port to the Secche dei Campanari, we will explore a series of spots that I've known for years and where we can find beautiful white groupers. Sometimes, you can also come across families of bream and some octopus. Then, we'll move to the other side of the gulf, to the east, to the Secche dei Campanari. There, we've encountered dentex, amberjacks, and even brown groupers. It's the most interesting spot, but along the way, there are other isolated rocky areas that sometimes have fish, and we'll explore those too."

In a few moments, we were in open water, in front of the long arm of the port. Leo guided us to a point that was a little over twenty meters deep. "Let's go taste the water; let's see how clear it is." It was a block of cement resting on the mud. Usually, white groupers live there. With our eyes fixed on the GPS, Leo took us to the spot.

The water on the surface seemed relatively clear. "Ok, it's your turn!" Without needing to be told twice, we slipped into the water; I went on one side, and Totò on the opposite. Three breaths, and we were down. Totò was assisting me from the surface. He wanted me to be the first to inaugurate the day. The meters passed beneath me, and everything flattened out. There was a dense layer of suspension that made the water turbid in the last meters, right at the thermocline.

For a moment, I felt disoriented, and then the dark shadow of the rock, which could hide some serranids, stood out from the bottom. The approach allowed me to inspect every angle. Nothing. Only some undersized breams swimming around. I resurfaced and reported the visibility conditions to my buddy and our boatman, who was reaching us at that moment. There was no current, but the water was indeed turbid below the thermocline.

A quick glance was enough to understand: we moved on. During the journey, Leo explained that in that area, the muddy bottom often clouds the water. It's a matter of thermoclines and currents that raise dust. Sometimes, as quickly as these clouds form, they disappear just as fast; within a few minutes or even from one rock to another. So, we agreed to head in front of the port and towards the east to inspect other signals.

These signals are stones, cement blocks deliberately placed in the sea to deter trawling near the coast, abandoned pipes, and other artifacts that, amidst the mud, represent possible shelters for interesting prey.

One signal after another, I took turns with Totò, but nothing. Another move. This time, we were a little further offshore. We moved over a seabed of about 26, 28 meters. Our guide explained that in that spot, we would find two stones resting against each other and that, on several occasions, he had seen and sometimes caught different white groupers between the two stones.

Once again, I was the first to dive, while Totò stayed on the surface to assist me. After flipping, I forced with a few fin strokes in the first meters and then let myself drop. The water seemed cleaner; in fact, I could already see the bottom and the shadow of the stones from halfway down. As I swam along, Leo's words came back to me: "Stefanino, always look around the stones because sometimes the fish stay outside, resting on the mud." Indeed! Just like that; and there was a white grouper. It was right there, resting on the mud, just a few meters from the rocks. Before I could even extend my arm with the speargun, it lifted off the ground, assuming an alert position, ready to dart away.

Intuition, a fraction of a second, and the white grouper darted into the cavity between the two rocks. And that's exactly where I was waiting for it! I had understood that would be its refuge, and so I had anticipated its move. A shot on the fly, and then the spear slamming; it was the first catch of the day. As I resurfaced, I reflected on that action and a detail that, in the moment, I hadn't had the opportunity to evaluate because I was completely focused on the fish.